VOTD: Will Ferrrell Anchors An Entire North Dakota Newscast As Ron Burgundy

Proving once again that no one can do eerie deadpan by turns amusing and oddly creepy better than he can, Will Ferrell appeared (without fanfare or explanation) in-character as Ron Burgundy to co-host KXMB news broadcast this weekend in Bismark, North Dakota.

Of course, the real reason for such a move is to create news posts like this one, generating viral buzz for the upcoming Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Still, this is one of the more bizarre bits of viral advertising we’ve seen in some time, as Ferrell (mostly) plays it completely straight, though he lets more Burgundy weirdness seep into his performance towards the end. Basically, it’s good way to kill 30 minutes if you’re bored or just can’t wait until the December 18 release date of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

Directed by Adam McKay, who co-wrote with Ferrell, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues finds our newscasting heroes from the first film down in the dumps in the 1980s, until the formation of a 24-hour news channel brings the team back together again. The film costars Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate, and David Koechner, and is set for a December 18, 2013 release date.